The richest country in the world is battling a major epidemic. It is not AIDS/HIV, high unemployment, or human rights. It is two diseases called hunger and homelessness. America is facing a dark issue that must be resolved by coming together. No matter if you are a Republican or a Democrat, rich or poor we must come together to make a change to end hunger and homelessness for the adults and children who are currently living in pure destitute. The rise in hunger in the United State of America is due in part to low-income wages, a child being raised in a single parent household, and the social economic gap. Hunger affects all urban communities in America. There reality is that African-Americans families are battling the idea of putting food in the household and children across the nation who are poor are experiencing the hunger epidemic. A study in 2011 shows that 46.2 million people live in poverty; 26.5 million people between ages 18-64 years old are living in poverty; 16.1 million children under eighteen are living in poverty; and another 3.6 million seniors 65 years and older are living in poverty. Many people will suggest that poverty plays a major role in the wave of hunger. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, another main reason there is hunger in America is due to the shortage of food supplies and the rising costs of food.The national percentage of people receiving food assistance in Florida is 16.2%, the national average in the United States is 14.7%. However, 57.2% of household participants receiving food assistance are in enrolled in at least one of three major federal food assistance programs. These include the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (formally known as food stamps), the National School Lunch Program, and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). On the other hand, nearly 14 million children are served by Feeding America, over 3 million are ages five and under. (Source: www.feedingamerica.org)Amongst African-Americans living in urban communities, one of the most difficult tasks that African-American families face every day is survival - for the apparent reason that 30% of children live below the poverty line. A study dating back to 1991 shows that 46% of black children were chronically hungry compared to 16% of white children. There is no gleam of hope when hunger takes part in the death of infants. The U.S. is ranked 23rd among infant mortality. Nonetheless, black infants are dying nearly twice the rate of white infants. (Source: www.rollingout.com) Politicians who serve in local, state, and federal governments don’t take people who are homeless seriously. Politicians either ignore the need to aid the homeless or aid to the homeless isn’t a number one factor on their “to-do list.” Little do they know the poverty rate for black children is 32.8% and 32.3% for Hispanic children, compared to 17% for whites, and 3% for Asian children. (www.apa.org) Homelessness in America is more prevalent in urban areas in America with 71% living in central cities, 21% in Suburbs, and 9% in rural areas. On the contrary, 1.6 million people live in emergency shelters or transitional housing. Homelessness in America remains an issue of deep concern as we advance in the 21st century. We must come together and do something about it.